Improvement in burglar-alarms



W. H. REIFP. Burglar-Alarm.

Patented Dec. 4, 1877.

1 z v VENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

WILLIAM H. REIFF, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BURGLAR-ALARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,895, dated December 4, 1877; application filed November 3, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. REIFF, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Burglar- Alarms; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figures 1v and 2 are longitudinal vertical sections of my invention; Figs. 3 and 4 are side views of the same, the former being attached to a pistol-handle, and the latter to the frame of a door; and Fig. 5 is a plan view.

My invention has relation to a burglaralarm in which a cartridge is exploded; and I my improvements have special reference to the construction of the spring by which the hammer is thrown. down, and to the device by which the alarm is secured in position.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A designates the body of the device, consisting of a metallic block bored transversely at a. for the reception of a blank cartridge, and having a longitudinal slot, at, for the insertion and retention of a spring, and a dovetailed groove, ta to receive a wedge-shaped sliding block, B, in which is fastened a screw, 0, by means of which the alarm is secured to a door-frame or other fixture. D is the hammer, which is pivoted at d in an offset, a formed on the body A; and E is the spring by means of which said hammer is thrown down upon the cartridge to cause the explosion of the latter. Said spring is formed with a hooked or bent end, 0, by means of which it is securely held in the body A, a rivet, f, which goes through said body, passing above, while another similar rivet, f, passes below, said spring, as shown. The end of the spring opposite to that on which the hook e is formed is slit or cut to form a kerf,

e, for the reception of the end of alink, F, the opposite end of said link being attached to the hammer D, as shown.

To apply the alarm, the screw 0 is first inserted in the door-frame, or other fixture, leaving its head or wedge-block B exposed. The body A is now attached by sliding it down upon the wedge-block B, the latter entering the dovetail groove (L The hammer D is now thrown back, producing a tension on the spring E. Now, upon opening the door, the hammer D will be met, pushing said hammer slightly around on its pivot, bringing the spring E into'action, and causing the cartridge to be exploded.

During the (lay-time, or at any time when it is not desired to have the alarm attached for operation, it may be readily removed by sliding it off the wedge-block B, leaving the latter secured to its fixture.

A handle, as shown in dotted lines, may be fastened to the screw, and the device used as a toy pistol.

What I claim as my invention is l. The improved burglar-alarm consisting, essentially, of the body A, having longitudinal slot to, cartridgebore a, and dovetailed groove a doubled spring E, having bend or hook e at one end, and kerf c at the other, bent link F, and hammer D, all constructed and combined as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth. I

2. The combination, with the block or body A, having the longitudinal recess a and the hammer D, of the bent link F and doubled or U-shaped spring-plate E, as shown and described. V

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of October, 1877. 7

WILLIAM H. REIFF. Witnesses:

GEO. O. SEELMERDINE, M. D. OoNNoLLY. 

